Wednesday Music News

Donald Glover’s project Childish Gambino has shared a pair of new songs titled “Summertime Magic” and “Feels Like Summer,” appropriately packaged under the title Summer Pack. The breezy, tropical songs exemplify their subject matter perfectly. The Summer Pack follows the politically-charged single “This Is America.” Childish Gambino’s last full-length was 2016’s Grammy-nominated Awaken, My Love!. Glover recently announced his intentions to retire the Childish Gambino name, with one last album forthcoming at some point. [ SPIN ]

Long-running New York trio Interpol are releasing their sixth studio album, Marauder, on August 24 via Matador. Today, they’ve unveiled a video for “The Rover.” Directed by Gerardo Naranjo (“Narcos,” “Fear the Walking Dead”), the clip was shot in Mexico City and stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach (“Girls”) as he jumps from the band’s van to go on an adventure in the city before disrupting, in real life, Interpol’s massive press conference in Mexico City. Frontman Paul Banks explained the video like this:  "I like to describe the video for 'The Rover' as a prequel. It's the origin story of the character described in the song, the birth of a cult leader. When we meet him he is partly unhinged. He's a man on the verge, an artist subjected to great pressures, and beset with existential frustrations. A distracted hipster who enjoys psychedelics, let's say. The events that take place in Mexico City, be it a bump on the head, a visit to a shaman, or the influence of his rescuers (the street gang known as 'Los Locos') trigger the birth - the eruption -  of this new figure, 'The Rover.' His rescuers become his first followers. In the end of the video he exacts his 'revenge' on Interpol with a mischievous act of disruption during the press conference. He grabs me by the head - to save me? Forgive me? Or simply as a gesture of his new independence - the butterfly becoming." [ Under the Radar ]

Philadelphia shoegaze quartet Nothing are releasing their third LP Dance On The Blacktop next month. Today, they’ve shared the second single off the album, following “Zero Day,” titled “Blue Line Baby.” The song tells a story about the opioid outbreak that took place in the Kensington/Frankford area of North Philadelphia during the early ’90s. “Looking around at the friends and family that are still around that came from down there, I’ll always be touched by what can come out of all that chaos and suffering,” frontman Domenic Palermo explains. “Children forced to learn loss early, faced with immeasurable odds and all the while this train continually hovers over your head, taunting you with its irony that there wasn’t a way out.” Nothing’s last record was 2016’s Tired of Tomorrow. [ Consequence of Sound ]

Seattle-born, Oakland-based Madeline Kenney released her Toro Y Moi-produced debut Night Night at the First Landing last year. She’s now announced its follow-up titled Perfect Shapes, produced by Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner. Kenney’s also shared the album’s lead single “Cut Me Off,” alongside a fun video featuring Kenney dancing through her very mundane corporate office. This Sunday, July 15, Kenney will play Neumos with Wye Oak. [ The Line of Best Fit ]

Beak> the side project of Portishead’s Geoff Barrow with Billy Fuller and Will Young have announced their third full-length record, titled >>>. Last month they shared the song “Allé Sauvage,” which will be included on the album and, today, they’ve shared another, “Brean Down.” The band’s label manager said this of the new album: “>>> definitely sounds like a step forward. The production and feel of the first two albums was like listening through frosted glass; a band playing behind a curtain. Now we are hearing Beak> in sharp focus, but without forfeiting what the band see as its ‘wrongness.’ This could be the result of having played bigger stages and festivals — something that was never part of the plan — or perhaps it is just a reaction to the infinite cut & paste fuzz pedal kraut bands on the planet.” >>> is out 9/21 via Invada Records/Temporary Residence. Catch Beak> at the Columbia City Theater on Sunday, October 7. [ Stereogum ]